First Honors Seventy Years Birthday Luncheon Convocation Held Devoted Given For Meister BCC President Morris Meis- pioneer in the field of Nurse Ed- ter was honored for over 50 ucation in New York community Colleges in cooperation with the To Education years of dedicated service to Department of Hospitals." Morris Meister, the presi the education of the youth of The Nursing Program at the dent of our institution, was N.Y.C. at a luncheon on Oc- Bronx Community College was in- born seventy years ago in Go tober 20, 1965, the date of his stituted in 1959 with the award of nietz, Poland. He came herd seventieth birthday, at the a five-year Kellogg Foundation at the age of seven and was Nursing Center. Over seventy grant setting up the college as a demonstration center for nurse raised on New York's Lower people were invited to the training in the State of New York. East Side. He was admitted luncheon. In September, 1960, forty-four to City College where he was Joseph F. Periconi, President of young women and men were ad- graduated with a B .S. in 1916 the Borough of The Bronx pro- mitted to the program . The first Within a year he received hi; claimed the day as "Education for class of nursing students was grad- The first annual BCC Honors Convocation was held on Masters' from Columbia Uni Excellence Day." The proclama- uated in 1962 . In September, 1965, Thursday, October 21, in the Auditorium . On stage, in cere- tion is printed elsewhere on this the second year of the new "Nurs- versity. Four years later he monial robes, were President Morris Meister, Reverend Wil- page. ing Center" opened with a nursing received his Doctorate from enrollment of 378 students, about liam J . Kalaidjian, Mr . Benjamin McLaurin, Chairman of the At the same time, the Depart- the same institution . In be 800 of whom live in the fine, new BCC committee in the Board of Higher Education, Miss Dor- ment of Hospitals of the City of tween, he was a World War New York, through its Commis- residence which the facilities pro- othy Weddige, Director of Nursing Education and Nursing I Physics instructor . sioner, honored Dr. Meister for his vide. Service, NYC Dept. of Hospitals, the Deans, the Heads of farsighted approach to the field It was also announced at the Departments, and Student Council President, Joe Mazza. During the years from 191( of Nursing Education . The scroll luncheon, that Dr. Meister will re- The ceremony began promptly through 1921, he was presented to Dr. Meister read : ceive the Gold Medal of the City of New York from Mayor Wagner. at 1 :00 PM as the honored guest, Dean Sidney Silverman introduc- science teacher at Stuyvesant "The City of New York Depart- Student Council President Joe entered the Auditorium in a pro- ed Miss Weddige, who presented High School, Speyer School ment of I-Hospitals present this Mazza expressed the feeling of cessional. The Reverend Kalaidjian Dr. Meister with a scroll 'from the Horace Mann School, and award to Dr. Morris Meister, Pres-i the Student Body when he said, delivered the Invocation . Dean Dept. of Nursing. Mr. McLaurin, Haaren High School . He also dent, Bronx Community College "There are 7,000 students at BCC, Thompson welcomed those present, substituting for Bronx Borough -City University of New York- served as a lecturer in Science and there are 7,000 reasons for and Joe Mazza delivered a few President Periconi, read the Pro- Educator and Humanitarian, on wanting to shake your hand." words of greetings. clamation from the Borough Presi- Education at City College the occasion of his 70th Birthday, Dean Abraham Tauber then took dent's office . The proclamation is New York University, Colum . in recognition of his efforts as a (Continued on Page 4, Col. 5) the floor and conveyed a few words printed elsewhere on this page . bia University, and the Uni- of honor for the Dean's list stu- versity of Wisconsin, from dents. Dean Tauber then introduc- The last speaker of the after- 1917-1941 . Simultaneously, h( ed President Meister and announc- noon was President Meister, who PROCLAMATION ed that he would receive the Gold delivered an address entitled, was the head of the Science Medal of the City of New York, "Where Are You Taking My Department at the New York the highest honor the City can con- World." Some excerpts of the Teacher's Training College, Office of the President, Borough of The Bronx . fer to an individual . speech are printed below . . . From 1935 through 1938 he held the position of Super- WHEREAS Dr. Morris Meister, President of the Bronx be and why. On the other hand, old visor of Science for the New Community College of the City University of New York, people cannot appropriate the Meister's Speech York City Public Schools . reaches his 70th birthday on October 20th, 1965, with over world for themselves either . They 50 years of dedicated service to, the education of the youth Where Are You Taking My World? cannot keep things in the same In 1938 he was named the crystalized way they used to be or of our city ; and Fairly late at night, a husband first principal of the Bronx tend to block innovations, change and wife were discussing a trip and revolutionary thinking . Both High School of Science . He WHEREAS Dr. Meister has inspired thousands of young they were going to take very short- have no right to say they want the held this post for twenty people, and teachers to strive for excellence in education ; ly, involving much travel, and as world, to take it where they want years . Among the notable de- they discussed this they decided and it would be much easier if they had to go. velopments at this school un- Serendipity is the end that takes a globe to look at and trace their der Dr. Meister's leadership WHEREAS Dr . Meister's leadership and work as Found- place in the ultimate future by route. Their young daughter, He- were the development of the ing Principal of The Bronx High School of Science from those who started out and took a den had a globe she used to play 1938 to 1958 established that secondary school in our com- step in a direction not knowing Advance Placement Program with. Quietly, he tiptoed into He- where it would lead to of college-level courses offer- munity as a model for the nation, bringing us national ac- len's room, where she was fast . This is sim- ilar to Columbus not knowing claim ; and asleep, and took the globe . He ed to honor students in sec- where his voyage would lead to . reached the door when Helen sud- ondary schools and enriched Many other innovators in history WHEREAS Dr. Meister, as Founding President of The denly woke up and said, "Daddy, courses of study . The alumni were the victims of serendipity. Bronx Community College, has led that institution in its where are you taking my world ." Copernicus and Newton in discov- of the Bronx High School of dynamic growth, now well known for innovation, forever I repeat the word you, the word ering the solar system and its me- Science have made notable growing opportunities, for students, and for unique service my and the word world . They hold chanics did not realize what it achievements in many fields to the community ; and a very special significance . The would lead to . Galileo and Einstein )f - American life . Ironically, world belongs to neither the young in their work on physics and ener- although he designed the new WHEREAS Dr. Meister is a beloved citizen of our city, nor the old, but both, and they both gy had not notion that one day Bronx High School of Science, a proud product of its public schools, and a graduate of must decide in which direction the the salt water of the ocean could world is to go. Much conflict and he made fresh by the uses of ato- he stayed at the old building. the City College of New York; unhappiness in the world today re- mic energy . Pasteur, too, never On February 1st, 1958, Dr. flects that the young do not realize Now, Therefore, I, Joseph F. Periconi, President of the realized the effect of his work on Meister was selected from a that the world belongs to both . living cells. Morgan's discovery on Borough of The Bronx, do hereby proclaim October 20, Youth cannot take the world where the genetics process due to his Field of thirty candidates for 1965, to be they want to go, unless and until work on the fruit flies never know ;he post of President of Bronx they understand where the world the result this would have in the community College, which EDUCATION FOR EXCELLENCE DAY has been up to now, where it is agriculture world . Jefferson, who ' would hold its classes in the now, and why IN HONOR OF Dr . Young people have supported free education systems building once occupied by the . Morris Meister and his contributions no right to appropriate the world in this country had no idea that in Sigh School of Science . our community, which have improved educational op-p for themselves. They should un- 1965 students of Bronx Community to ortunities in the Borough of The Bronx and the City of derstand how the world came to (Continued on Page 4, Col . 5) (Continued on Page 4, Col . 3) 4-New York. October, 1965 THE COMMUNICATOR
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* m October, 1965 THE COMMUNICATOR Page 3 our transfer students to re- Trustee of Grand Street Boy's ceive full credit for all courses Foundation (since 1960) ; Seventy Years from BCC . Sec-retary-Treasurer. of the Lab (Continued from Page 1, Col. 3) 9. The constant addition of oratory for Educational Ma- Among his major accom- new curriculum to the Col- terials (since 1961) . plishments as president have lege's already long list . Dr. Meister has authored been : 10. The new Bronx Com- pore than fifteen publications, 1. The orderly growth of munity College Air Space most notable of which is Liv- the College from one hundred Campus. ing in a World of Science and twenty students, to seven Among the honors which which appeared in nine vol- thousand, in the space of six have been received by our umes over a span of years years. president are : President of from 1933-1957, and served as 2. The accomplishment of the National Science Teach- an introduction to the scien- this in a fifty year old build- er's Association from 1946- tific world for more than a in, being renovated while sim- 1948 ; Chairman of the Co- generation of young people. ultaneously holding classes. operative Committee on the Others include : Looking Quality education was main- Teaching of Science of Ma- Ahead in Education (1940 tained throughout the stages thematics of the American Smithsonian Scientific Series of growth . Association for the Advance- (1935) ; Editor of The Science 3. The gathering of a fine ment of Science from 1948- Classroom (1928-1952) . and talented faculty and up- 1954 ; President of the Emile He has also written many holding faculty morale at all Society (1952-1953) ; Bronx articles in science periodicals times. Chamber of Commerce Award among which are "The Science 4. The creation of a qual- (1953) ; President of Phi Beta Teacher, School and Society," ity and yet friendly institu- Kappa, Gamma Chapter Richard's Encyclopedia, tion, with concern for each and (1951-1951) ; President of (1945) ; "Operation Second every student, and opening High School Principal's Asso- Chance in Junior College Jour- the College to a wide and di- ciation (1954-1955) ; Out- nal, (October 1962) ; Phi Del- verse student body . This is standing Citizen of the Bronx ta Kappa ; "Experiments in exemplified in Operation Sec- Award from the Lion's Club Expanding Opportunity for ond Chance ; a program in- (1957) ; President of the Me- the Disadvantages," (March itiated at BCC and now be- tropolitan Association for the 1965) . ing used in colleges through- Study of the Gifted (1955- What does Pres. Meister out the country . 1956) ; Outstanding Citizen- have to say about this long 5. The initiation of the ship Award from B'nai B'rith, and illustrious career? "It has first two year nursing pro- Parkchester Lodge and Chap- been a soul satisfying kind of gram in New York City, here ter (1960) ; First Science job." at the college . Also of note is Teacher of the Year Award the use of closed circuit televi- from General Science Teach- sion and video tape at the ers' Association of New York Luncheon . . . Nursing Center. (1961) ; President of the .New (Continued from Page 1, Col . 5) 6. The accreditation so York Academy of Public Ed- Also, during the week Dr . Meis ; Chair- early in the college's history, ucation (1961-1962) ter was honored "for particularly as well as the comments of man of the Subcommittee op outstanding service to secondary praise by the accreditation Quality Integration in Public education in the U.S ." by Willis- panel. In addition, Bronx Com- Schools ; Member of the New ton Academy at Easthampton, munity College is the Qnly Council of Advisors of Na- Massachusetts, as one of the na- tion's 25 outstanding educators . tional Scholarship Service and community college in New The awards were presented on Oc . York City accredited by the Fund for Negro Students ; tober 17, 1965, on the occasion of Engineering Council Profes- Honorary Member Beta Delta the 125th anniversary of the found- sional Development . Chapter of Tau Alpha Pi, Na- ing of the academy and as part of 7. The effective and effi- tional Honor Society in En- the Fourth National Education Conference, devoted this year to cient Student Personnel De- gineering Science . He still problems confronting students partment for a well developed holds the following positions making the transition to higher ed . advisement program . Chairman of Committee on ucation. 8. The coordination with Examinations, CEEB (since the City Colleges, permiting 1956) ; Vice-President and Speech . . . (Continued from Page 1, Col . 2)
College would be demonstrating Many Echo for free tuition . There is a difference between the rebel and the revolution- His Greatness ary. The rebel is interested only in "In many respects Morris did in education for generations to change, without reason and the more than anyone else-not only cc me." revolutionary knows where he is for the young people of the city ALEX BREINAN going and why . Every rebel knows but for the very system itself- Principal of Bronx some day he will be rebelled in terms of the standards he set High School of Science against. and the reputation he achieved as Today we have the problems of the result of his effective develop- "I have come to admire his cease- Vietnam and the burning of the ment of a school which became a less devotion to the furtherance of draft cards . I was drafted in World model for the nation to copy ." higher education and his deep con- War I, and lost many friends at "In building a new community cern for the provisions of oppor- Belleau Woods . My son was also college in the Bronx, Morris show- tunities for self-improvement to drafted in World War II, when ed the same kind of vigor, ingenui- as wide a circle of young people many, many brilliant lads were lost ty, and foresightedness that built as the city university can encom- in the Battle of the Bulge the Bronx High School of Science ." pass within its scope ." . In World War I we found the Kaiser, in ALBERT BOWKER I. J. THEOBALD World II it was Hitler, Mussolini, Chansellor of the City U.S . Industries Incorporated and Tojo, and Korea, it was Stalin, University of New York Educational Science Division Krushchev and Tojo . Former Superintedent of Schools "I am flattered, indeed, to be Today it is Vietnam, although asked and certainly would not miss different, it is the same agressive "Long before our country, fright- the opportunity to add my words dictatorship philosophy, this time ened by Russian space achieve- of appreciation for the fine lead- under the rule of Mao Tse Tung ments, went on a `Science and math ership as well as the fellowship I a Chinese Communist. binge, this school (Science), guided have with Dr. Meister. As a conclusion, instead of say . by an outstanding educational lead- BENJAMIN F . McLAURIN inag where are you taking my world, er, was showing the way . It certain- Member of the BCC committee )r where am I taking your world, ly will remain a monument to Mor- of the Board of Higher it should be where are both of us, ris Meister's wisdom and leadership Education of New York City young and old, taking our world.